Respiratory System Mechanics

Respiratory System Mechanics: Activity 3: Effect of Surfactant and Intrapleural Pressure on Respiration Lab Report Pre-lab Quiz Results 1. Which of the following statements about surface tension is false? You correctly answered: c. Surface tension acts to increase the size of the alveoli within the lungs. 2. Which of the following statements about surfactant is false? You correctly answered: d. Surfactant works by increasing the attraction of water molecules to each other. 3. Just before an inspiration begins, the pressure within the intrapleural cavity You correctly answered: b. is less than the pressure within the alveoli. 4. The respiratory condition of pneumothorax refers to You correctly answered: c. any opening that equalizes the intrapleural pressure with the atmospheric pressure. 5. A pneumothorax can lead to You correctly answered: b. atelectasis. Experiment Results Predict Question: Predict Question 1: What effect will adding more surfactant have on these lungs? Your answer : b. Airflows will further increase. Predict Question 2: What will happen to the collapsed lung in the left side of the glass bell jar if you close the valve? Your answer : a. The lung will reinflate in one breath. Stop & Think Questions: Why did the sequential additions of surfactant change this lung system? You correctly answered: a. Surface tension was sequentially decreased. Premature infants often have difficulty breathing because the amount of surfactant in their lungs is You correctly answered: b. too low. What happened to the left side of the bell jar when the valve was opened? You correctly answered: b. The intrapleural pressure equalized with the atmospheric pressure. Did the collapsed left lung reinflate? You correctly answered: b. No, it did not. Experiment Data: Radius 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Breath Rate 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 Surfactant 0 2 4 0 0 0 0 Pressure Left -4 -4 -4 -4 0.00 0.00 -4 Pressure Right -4 -4 -4 -4 -4 -4 -4 Flow Left Flow Right 49.69 49.69 69.56 69.56 89.44 49.69 0.00 0.00 49.69 89.44 49.69 49.69 49.69 49.69 Total Flow 99.38 139.13 178.88 99.38 49.69 49.69 99.38 Post-lab Quiz Results 1. The addition of surfactant to the lung interior Your answer: a. decreased the magnitude of the intrapleural pressure changes. Correct answer: c. increased airflow. 2. Opening the valve in the side of the glass bell jar Your answer: b. altered the atmospheric pressure. Correct answer: d. simulated pneumothorax. 3. In this activity a pneumothorax is automatically followed by You correctly answered: b. atelectasis. 4. The best way to rapidly reinflate a person's collapsed lung is to You correctly answered: a. pump air out of the intrapleural space to recreate negative pressure. Review Sheet Results 1. What effect does the addition of surfactant have on the airflow? How well did the results compare with your prediction? Your answer: The more surfactant present, the more total flow in the lungs 2. Why does surfactant affect airflow in this manner? Your answer: Surfactant decreases surface tension 3. What effect did opening the valve have on the left lung? Why does this happen? Your answer: The left lung collapsed, it happened because the interpural pressure was equal to the atmospheric pressure 4. What effect on the collapsed lung in the left side of the glass bell jar did you observe when you closed the valve? How well did the results compare with your prediction? Your answer: The lung did not reinflate. 5. What emergency medical condition does opening the left valve simulate? Your answer: pneumothorax 6. In the last part of this activity, you clicked the Reset button to draw the air out of the intrapleural space and return the lung to its normal resting condition. What emergency procedure would be used to achieve this result if these were the lungs in a living person? Your answer: Emergency needle decompression 7. What do you think would happen when the valve is opened if the two lungs were in a single large cavity rather than separate cavities? Your answer: Then both of the lungs would collapsed and the person could not breath anymore